


TFP TAU

by MatrixDream



Category: Tau (2018), Transformers - All Media Types, Transformers: Prime
Genre: I'm just splitting it up into short parts, Someone requested the crossover, Tau is an Autobot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-08
Updated: 2019-07-10
Packaged: 2019-11-14 00:08:45
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,765
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18041681
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MatrixDream/pseuds/MatrixDream
Summary: "I'm just gonna put this out there... TAU is an Autobot (from Transformers)"





	1. Chapter 1

        "It's complete junk, I probably couldn't even get ten bucks off this thing." The Queenpin only shook her head and sighed, dismissing the blond woman as she waved another one of her girls over.

         Julia took the music device back with a low growl, walking out of the building and looking over her shoulder as she made her way back to her apartment. Tonight just really wasn't her night. She had seduced the wrong guy who got a bit too handsy on her and ended up discovering his stolen items. He took them back and instantly threatened to call the police, chasing her into an alleyway where she managed to escape. Then she found an old music launchpad near the trash, which she hoped would have at least gotten her a bit of cash, but apparently not. 

        Entering her flat, she tossed the device onto her bed and went to take a shower in the hopes to wash away the bad luck of tonight. It calmed her a fair bit, so she decided to take a closer look at her newest possession. Tapping at some of the buttons, none of them seemed to work, maybe the batteries were dead? Turning it over, she could see burn marks on the back, like it had just been grazed by something hot. She could only shrug, could've been owned by a kid who got their hands on a torch. Not that she should be one to raise a brow at strange childhood activities. 

        Still, she continued to look it over. Curious as it didn't seem to have a place to plug it in or change batteries, and there was a symbol on it. Some kind of pissed of red robot face. She'd never seen the logo before and tried pressing on it, but nothing seemed to work at all. With a huff, she put it down to instead occupy her time with something that actually did work. 

        Grabbing a pencil and her electric keyboard, she began to play it. Warming up with a few short, easy songs, she eventually began to work on her original songs. Taking notes on the keys she liked, she continued to play around until she got stuck halfway through a song. She played with a few different sounds and combinations, but none seemed to flow as smoothly as the rest of it. Eventually she gave up, grumbling to herself as she turned it off and put everything away. It would probably be best to just sleep and end the day, hope for a fresh start tomorrow.


	2. Chapter 2

        Julia awoke to darkness. Her eyes remained shut and she begged her mind to slip back into unconsciousness. With the burn behind her eyelids and the fogginess of her mind, she knew it was far too early for her to be waking up. Yet some part of her brain was painfully alert, finally prompting her to open her eyes. Her alarm clock read 4:43 AM and the sun wouldn't be rising for at least another hour.

        Squishing another pillow on top of her head, she sighed in frustration into it. Keeping the cushion where it was, she laid back to stare into the plush surface. If she couldn't sleep, then she would just stew in anger. Why the hell was she awake? 

        Though it was muffled, she heard a sound from the other room. Instantaneously she shot up, removing the pillow as she stared at the wall. Now her attention was fully piqued as she strained to hear more. There weren't any footsteps but someone still could have broken in. Just in case, she grabbed whatever was in reach to use as a weapon. The best thing being an empty mug, which wouldn't do much but it was better than nothing. At the very least she could break it and use the glass if she needed to. 

        Quietly as she could, she began to slide out of bed, eyes locked on the area separating her room from the other small room in her apartment. Mug at the ready, she ever so slowly crept forward, trying to keep calm the closer she got. Pressing her back up against the wall, she waited for the sound to repeat itself. 

        Within moments she heard it again, but it had her pausing. It sounded like someone was playing her piano, which she knew for certain was unplugged and beside her bed. Still, she remained defensive as she whirled into the room, ready to hit whoever was in there. There was no one. Not a single person. Just her things and a lot of clutter. 

        Her brows drew together in confusion as she spun around the room, weapon slowly lowering. There was nothing here. "What the fuck?" The only thing out of place was that launchpad. She thought she left it in the other room, but now it was in here. Approaching it, she lifted it up to inspect it again, before nearly throwing it as one of the buttons lit up and music began to play. Her music.

        Cursing to herself, she clutched her chest, relief releasing the previous tension she had been holding. "I'm such an idiot." She shook her head at the scare. The stupid thing was supposed to be broken, but apparently it wasn't. So, she brought it back into her room.

        Sitting on her bed, she decided to try playing with it again since it was working now. After that scare, she was certainly wide awake. Pressing the button she had touched before, it played a piece of the song she had been playing earlier. Weird, but she pressed another button. It played another section of the song, so she began to touch different ones. Some played parts of her song, other buttons played different parts of songs, and even some sounds she didn't recognize. She tried pressing the angry red face. 

        "My name is Optimus Prime, and I send this messa-" The strange message abruptly cut off.

        "What in th-" Suddenly the music device in her hands began to move, almost instinctively she threw it across her bed. Just before it hit the wall, it changed into a little robot. 

 


	3. Chapter 3

        "I can explain!" It said, holding up its servos as she screamed and raised her mug again. 

        "What the fuck! What are you?" Julia demanded, backing up to put some distance between her and the bot. 

        "I am not here to harm you." It, no he, pointed at the red symbol. "I am an Autobot, a good guy." 

        "I have no idea what that means. Are you some advanced robot thing?" She asked, watching him wearily.

        "I am from the planet Cybertron." He explained, not really sure what her question was, but hoping he answered it. They were supposed to be in disguise, he wasn't planning on meeting any sentient beings. If he had known this was going to happen, he would have brushed up on their language a bit more. 

        "So, an alien?" She continued eyeing him. 

        "What is that?" 

        Was she seriously making first contact? "Something not from this planet." She responded, gradually lowering her weapon and relaxing a bit. Her arm was getting tired and the least she could do was act amicable and maybe get some answers. "Why are you here?"

        "I was told to come here, I must find the other Autobots." He told her, numbers displaying on his buttons. "I received these coordinates, but I was attacked and now I am lost."

        "Okay..." She mumbled, pulling out her phone and typing the numbers into google maps. "Holy shit, Jasper, Nevada? You're really lost." Showing him the screen, his optic widened before he looked down at his frame, miserably. 

        "This alt-mode is inefficient for travel, I will not be able to get there." Just when he was beginning to like its features too.

        "Take an Uber?" She suggested, before pausing. "Actually the bus might be cheaper." 

        "I do not posses any of your currency." He pointed out the flaw in her plan. It would seem he really was stuck here then. 

        They sat in silence for a minute, trying to think of a solution. Or at least he was, the human was beginning to nod off a bit thanks to her interrupted sleep. However, she did briefly looked around her room, a contemplative expression on her face. "Fuck it." She muttered. 

        "'Fuck it'?" The mech repeated, tilting his head in confusion. 

        "Oh shit, I'm teaching the alien to swear." She facepalmed, shaking her head at herself. "Never mind, just don't repeat that." What a night. "I need a change of scenery, no one gives a shit about me here anyway, so I'll take you." 

        Her offer only received further confusion. "You plan to...kidnap me? Are you allied with the Decepticons?"

        "Am I what?" She was way too tired for this. "I'm not even going to ask what that means, so I'm just going to say no, I'm not. I'll take you to Jasper," She paused again. "In the morning though, because I can't function like this." And she wanted to make sure this was real and not some hallucination thanks to the lack of sleep. 

        "Oh!" He finally seemed to understand. "Thank you....What are you called?"

        She was already laying down again, sleep practically calling out to her, but she managed to slur a reply. "I'm a person, but you can call me Julia."

        "Thank you, Julia. My designation is Tau." 

        "Night, Tau." Julia uttered, before drifting back into sleep at last. 

        "Goodnight, Julia."


	4. Chapter 4

        The next time Julia was awoken, sun shone in through her window, directly into her face. With a huff, she turned her head and prepared to slip back to sleep before her consciousness could catch up with her. However, she was too late, instantly sitting up as she recalled the prior events. 

        "Tau?" She questioned quietly, hesitant to dismiss it all as a dream. There was no answer, causing her to sigh and shake her head at herself. Getting out of bed, she went over to the sink to prepare breakfast for herself. "...Tau?" She tried again, feeling ridiculous as she stood around, calling out for something that might not even exist. It seemed so real though.

        "I am here, Julia." The Autobot replied, his voice sounding staticky. Was he sleeping too? Could they sleep? Recharge?

        "So you are real." She responded, still partially in disbelief.

        The launchpad transformed into a robot before stretching out to loosen his joints. "When are we leaving?" 

        She had to think about that one, leaning against the counter as a contemplative look graced her face. They could leave right now, she had an escape bag packed at all times in case of an emergency. However, there wasn't much of a rush. If she was really going to another town to start over, it'd be wise to take some more time. "Soon, I just have some things to get rid of." Maybe she could make a bit more cash selling off her things, it wasn't as if she needed them anymore and she had sources. 

        Tau observed the human as she walked around the apartment, writing down which things to keep and which to sell. There wasn't much she was keeping, not that she had much to begin with. Only the things she deemed essential or couldn't part with were shoved into her escape bag along with all the money she had hidden around her apartment. Another bag held snacks for the trip. He watched her leave with the things she planned to get rid of, briefly promising to return.

         It was weird being alone in a practically empty room on an alien planet. For some reason he found it more comforting with her there. Maybe it was just the isolation, maybe not. Despite appearances, the human had thus far been nothing but hospitable, not that he had expectations or experience in general. He liked Julia.

 

        Getting rid of everything took longer than she wanted it to, but with the abrupt change it was to be expected. Telling her sources she was in trouble and needed to lay low made them more compliant with the transaction. It wasn't as if she cared enough about them to feel bad about lying. If she did tell them she planned to start anew it could prompt further questioning. She wanted out and this was her perfect opportunity for that.

        She was prone to dropping everything and disappearing, but was it weird to do so for an alien robot? Cybertronian. One who was waiting patiently for them to leave as she packed up the rest of her money and rechecked the bus route. "Ready to go?" She finally asked. 

        "Yes!" 

        "Alright, remember to stay down and stay quiet, I'm not quite sure how to explain you if we get caught." Julia said, hiding the bot in one of her bags. With a brief glance at her empty apartment, she silently bid it fair well before closing the door for a final time and heading off. 

 

        Getting on the first bus was a success. They'd have to get on quite a few of them and it was going to be a long ride, so Julia sat back and relaxed. Her bags took up a few seats, but due to the time there were few other passengers. She kept the bag hiding Tau close to her side, shielding him with her body as he peered out of the window. To avoid any weird glances, she kept her phone handy as she answered some of his questions. He had a lot of them and they weren't all easy to answer, but eventually it morphed into a game of 'I spy'. 

        It was interesting listening to him try to describe things when he couldn't remember the names. Some he'd even compare to things on his own planet, which prompted questions from her. Surprisingly he didn't have many good things to say about it. Apparently there had been a war which caused the destruction of Cybertron, hence why his kind had fled, some appearing to be on Earth. It only stressed the importance of finding the other Autobots. 

        "That's why you were so worried." Julia understood his fear of her being a 'Decepticon' now. They sounded intimidating, but if these 'Cons were as big as Tau or even a little bigger, she could probably handle them. Anything larger than that couldn't possibly be hidden from the public. 

        "I am happy I met you Julia, thank you for everything." Her newfound companion smiled at her, the sadness from the topic being shifted to gratitude for her generosity. 

        "The trip is far from over." She reminded him, but allowed herself a small smile regardless. "I'm glad I met you too, Tau. Honestly, I needed an out and now I get to have a fresh start with a cool, new friend." However, their conversation was interrupted by the bus stopping. The Autobot hid back in her bag as she got off and headed to the next one.

 

        "It is hot, I should've bought sunscreen." Julia stated as she stepped out of the final bus and into the sweltering heat. Shielding her eyes, she looked up at the cloudless skies and then to the small, sandy town she was now living in. "Jasper, Nevada indeed." Pulling out a water bottle, she took a quick drink before beginning to walk. 

        "How are we going to find your friends?" She asked, once they were far enough away from people. No one else got off at their stop, but there were a few townspeople walking around. If they were at war there was no way they would advertise their exact location. 

        "I was hoping to pick up on another Autobot signal." Tau said, sounding sheepish as he peaked out of her bag, staying out of sight. 

        "Exploring it is then." With a sigh, she continued walking. It would be nice to get to know the place a little better, but it sucked needing to drag all of her things around. "I wonder what housing is like here." She mumbled to herself, looking around at the buildings. Hopefully cheap, because she didn't have much on her, but she did take note of places she could try to get a job at.

        Every once in a while she got a few double takes from people. She checked on Tau, but he wasn't visible so she must be the spectacle. It certainly didn't look like the kind of place for vacationers, but was it really that small of a town? Apparently yes, as she heard a motorcycle pass her before abruptly screeching to a halt. Turning in the direction of the noise, she quirked an eyebrow as a boy began to slowly approach her. 

        Seriously, not even ten minutes in the new place and she was already about to be attacked or harassed. "What do you want?" She demanded, keeping her tone firm and her stance strong. If this teen was looking for a fight she would give it to him. 

        He stopped moving towards her, lifting his hands in a surrendering gesture before pulling off his helmet. "Hey, sorry, sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." He said, sounding incredibly awkward. He looked to be in his mid teens if she had to guess. "I just didn't recognize you, are you new around here?"

        "...Yes." She hesitantly replied, still keeping a good distance between them. 

        "I detect a Cybertronian signal." Tau informed her quietly. 

        "Can you tell what kind?" She whispered back, still keeping her eyes on the boy. 

        "We don't get many visitors around here, I'm Jack Darby." 'Jack' said, reaching out his hand for her to shake.

        "Julia." Cautiously she shook it, still waiting to receive an answer from her companion. 

        "So, what brings you to a small town like Jasper?" He continued, casually leaning against his bike before seemingly catching himself and standing up straighter. 

        "Just trying to find some friends." She answered, looking for an escape in case he turned out to be bad news. He seemed to notice and surprisingly became more defensive as well. Not a great sign. 

        "Which side are you on?" The question came from Julia's bag.

        "What?" Jack asked, looking at her bag in confusion, tensing further. 

        "What side are you on." Julia repeated, bringing his attention back up to her. 

        "Autobots." His bike answered, rolling forward on it's own and backing Julia into an alleyway.

        He looked at it in bewilderment, then back to her. "Arcee, what are you doing?"

        "Clearly she knows something and I sense another Cybertronian near her." Arcee answered, before rolling closer to the woman again. "What side are you on?"

        "Autobot." Julia answered, looking around to make sure no one else was around before helping Tau out of her bag. He was little compared to the bike, which worried her. If he was small for his species, it gave her a new perspective on this whole thing. 

        Jack and Arcee both seemed to look at the small bot, before the former transformed, becoming even bigger. "I have to tell Optimus about this." 

        Jack shook his head with a sigh. "Ratchet isn't going to be happy about another human showing up." His partner agreed, before transforming back into a motorcycle, prompting him to get back on. "Come on, we'll take you to base." 

        Julia was surprised by the compliance, she was expecting it to be much harder than that. It seemed too easy, but Tau was eager to go, so she put her faith in him. "You want me to just...sit on her?" She asked the boy, getting a weird look for the question. 

        "She's still a motorcycle, hop on." 

        Making sure she had everything, she gingerly sat down on the bike before holding onto Jack as they started to drive. 

 

        "Holy fuck." Slipped out as Julia stared at the _**giant**_ alien robots. 

        "Wait, we're allowed to say f-" A teenage girl's mouth was quickly covered by another boy before the curse could be said. 

        " _Miko_!" A _large_ green bot warned the girl, giving her a disapproving look, before all attention was back on the newcomer.

        "Arcee, Jack, what is the meaning of this?" A cranky sounding robot gestured vaguely at Julia. 

        "I found one of your Autobots." She said, once again helping Tau out of her bag. He was almost comically tiny compared to the other bots in the room, who only seemed to get bigger. Somehow the bike was the second smallest one in the room. 

        "May I speak with him?" A red and blue bot asked, despite the politeness he carried himself like a leader. 

        "Of course, Optimus Prime!" Tau saluted the massive mech, before quickly following his leader, giving Julia a smile and a wave.

        She waved back, before realizing she was now left in a room full of complete strangers, all eyes and optics on her. Miko was the one to break the awkward silence first. "Is that an electric keyboard?" She questioned, excitedly pointing to the piano strapped to the woman's back. Before the woman could answer, she pulled out an electric guitar. "Want to rock out with me?"

        "Miko." Nearly everyone in the room said, tiredly. 

        "It's okay." Julia assured them, prompting the girl to jump down the stairs with a cheerful whoop. 

        "I like you already, my name is Miko! What's yours?" 

        "Julia."

        "Cool! This is my partner Bulkhead, he's a lean, green, mean killing machine!" Miko punched at the air as she introduced the large green bot. "That's Ratchet." She pointed to the grumpy both with far less enthusiasm, he only huffed at her in response anyway. "Bumblebee and his partner Raf." She gestured to the youngest looking boy and a black/yellow bot, they both waved before returning to a video game. "And you've met those two." She nodded at Jack and Arcee. 

        "I doubt any of you know where to find a place to live here?" Julia questioned, not expecting an answer seeing as she was the only human adult in the room. 

        "If you need a job I'm pretty sure they're hiring at my work, I could put in a good word for you." Jack suggested. "I could ask my mom about the housing situation." 

        "So, does that mean you're staying?" The other boy, Raf, asked. 

        "I don't have anywhere else to be." Julia shrugged, she didn't have many expectations. 

        Miko whooped again, "I'm not the only girl anymore!" before lifting up her guitar. "Now, how about that jam sesh?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's the end for this fic, thanks to everyone for commenting and sticking around!


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